This Is Your Life (UK)
This is Your Life is a British biographical television documentary, based on the 1952 American show of the same name. It was hosted by Eamonn Andrews from 1955 until 1964, and then from 1969 until his death in 1987 aged 64. Michael Aspel then took up the role of host until the show ended in 2003. It returned in 2007 as a one-off special presented by Trevor McDonald, which to date was its most recent airing. In the show the host surprises a special guest, before taking them through their life with the assistance of the 'big red book'. Both celebrities and non-celebrities have been 'victims' of the show. The show was originally broadcast live, and over its run it has alternated between being broadcast on the BBC and on ITV. History The British version of the show was launched in 1955 on the BBC and was first presented by Ralph Edwards to the first "victim", Eamonn Andrews, who was the presenter from the second show. It ended in 1964 when he moved to Associated British Corporation, but it was revived on ITV (produced by Thames Television) in 1969. The only other occasion during Andrews' presentational run where he was not the presenter was in 1974 when he was the subject a second time, and the show was presented by David Nixon. Michael Aspel (himself, a "victim" in 1980) became presenter after Andrews died in 1987. The show returned to the BBC in 1994 but was still produced independently by Thames Television. The programme was axed again in 2003. At first, the show was always broadcast live; later, programmes were sometimes pre-recorded. Live broadcasts ended in 1983 when Alan Minter could not stop swearing during his appearance, but newspapers were able to find out which star was to be featured and ratings dropped as people no longer watched it just to see who was on that week. The show returned in June 2007 on ITV for a one-off special programme hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald with guest Simon Cowell. The new edition was co-produced by ITV Productions, STV Productions, TIYL Productions, Click TV and Ralph Edwards Productions. *''List of This Is Your Life episodes'' Host Ralph Edwards (1955), Eamonn Andrews (1955-1964, 1969-1987), David Nixon (1974), Michael Aspel (1987-2003) & Trevor McDonald (2007) Guests *Des O'Connor *Des Lynam *Bruce Forsyth *Bob Monkhouse *Jimmy Tarbuck *Ken Dodd *Val Doonican *Richard Whiteley *Max Bygraves *Tom O'Connor *Freddie Starr *Ronnie Corbett *Stan Boardman *Frankie Vaughan *Carol Vorderman *Les Dawson *Jim Davidson *Bobby Charlton *George Best *Denis Law *Bobby Moore *Matt Busby *Geoff Hurst *Gordon Banks *Bryan Robson *David Beckham *Nobby Stiles *Bobby Robson *Alex Ferguson *Harry Driver *Jack Smethurst *Nina Baden-Semper *Kate Williams *Jimmy Jewel *Rudolph Walker *Wilfred Pickles *Joe Gladwin *Madge Hindle *Peggy Mount *Hylda Baker *Irene Handl *Twiggy *Honor Blackman *Diana Rigg *Patrick Macnee *Shirley Eaton *Sean Connery *Linda Thorson *Ursula Andress *Ian Hendry *The Beverly Sisters *Dickie Henderson *Jimmy Young *Russ Conway *John Fairfax *Chay Blyth *Jim Shekhdar *Uffa Fox *Henry Cooper *Muhammad Ali *Joe Bugner *Frank Bruno *Joe Frazier *Ken Norton *Joe Erskine *Jackie Stewart *Graham Hill *Stirling Moss *Damon Hill *Nigel Mansell *Jimmy Savile *Gary Glitter *Rolf Harris *Cyril Smith *Dave Lee Travis *Stuart Hall *William Roache *Tony Blackburn *Esther Rantzen *Edward Heath *Arthur Dooley *Wendy Craig *John Mortimer *Michael Starke *Tony Jacklin *Jack Nicklaus *Sandy Lyle *Ian Woosnam *Arnold Palmer *Sam Torrance *Peter Alliss *Charlie Cairoli *Norman Barrett *Coco The Clown *Syd Little and Eddie Large *Anna Neagle *Sylvia Syms *Jessie Matthews *Margaret Lockwood *Trevor Howard *Tommy Cooper *Frankie Howard *Eric Morecambe *Ernie Wise *Eric Sykes *Arthur Askey *Benny Hill *Larry Grayson *Roy Hudd *Frank Carson *Danny La Rue *David Nixon *Ali Bongo *Anita Harris *Gilbert Harding *Isobel Barnett *Barbera Kelly *Geoffrey Durham *Paul Daniels *Robert Harbin *Leslie Crowther *David Berglas *Bernard Braden *Cyril Fletcher *Kenneth Williams *Sid James *Hattie Jacques *Charles Hawtrey *Bernard Bresslaw *Joan Sims *Terry Scott *Kenneth Connor *Dick Emery *Tony Hancock *Jim Dale *June Whitfield *Talbot Rothwell *Norman Wisdom *Jerry Desmonde *George Formby *Charlie Drake *Ronnie Barker *David Jason *Nicholas Lyndhurst *Buster Merryfield *Lynda Baron *Roy Clarke *Jeremy Beadle *Henry Kelly *Matthew Kelly *Noel Edmonds *Chris Tarrant *Max Wall *Bob Holness *Anne Kirkbride *Lord Mountbatten Of Burma *Lady Pamela Hicks *Prince Philip, Duke Of Edinburgh *Harry Hill *Julie Walters *Simon Cowell *Frank Skinner *Peter Kay *Lionel Blair *John Virgo *Bobby Davro *Joan Collins *Jackie Collins *Linda Evans *John Forsythe *Elizabeth Taylor *Anthony Newley *Bernard Manning *Colin Crompton *Charlie Williams *Ken Goodwin *George Roper *Mike Reid *Jim Bowen *Duggie Brown *Esther Rantzen *Norman Collier *Mick Miller *Roy Walker *Shirley Bassey *Matt Monro *Cliff Richard *Petula Clark *Diana Ross *Cilla Black *Brandan Behan *Dominic Behan *Windsor Davies *Don Estelle *Melvyn Hayes *Donald Sinden *Michael Bates *Donald Hewlett *Michael Knowles *George Layton *Jack Douglas *Peter Butterworth *Jimmy Perry *David Croft *Carol Hawkins *John Clegg *Christopher Mitchell *Sydney MacEwan *Peter Davison *Tom Baker *Colin Baker *Sylvester McCoy *Jon Pertwee *Paul McGann *William Hartnell *Patrick Troughton *Robert Hardy *Christopher Timothy *Alfred Marks *Gordon Hessler *Michael Gothard *Christopher Wicking *Tommy Trinder *Jimmy Edwards *John Gregson *Harry Secombe *Wilfrid Hyde-White *Brian Rix *Elspet Gray *Ronald Shiner *Leo Franklyn *Louisa Rix *Sheila Mercier *Ray Cooney *Jamie Rix *Dora Bryan *Cecil Parker *Peggy Mount *Derek Royle *Nick Wilton *Leslie Phillips *Ian Carmichael *Spike Milligan *Peter Sellers *Michael Bentine *Peter Cook *John Cleese *Barry Cryer *Graham Chapman *Marty Feldman *Dudley Moore *Patrick Troughton *Sean Pertwee *Nicholas Courtney *Michael Pertwee *Bill Pertwee *Deryck Guyler *Terry-Thomas *Marty Wilde *Justin Hayward *Mike Batt *Kim Braden *Nat Temple *Desmond Wilcox *Arthur Christiansen *Ben Warriss *Paul Young *Phil Collins *Gary Glitter *Alvin Stardust *Elton John *Alice Cooper *Patrick Macnee *Diana Rigg *Linda Thorson *Gareth Hunt *Joanna Lumley *Desmond Llewelyn *The Bee Gees *Bill Oddie *Graeme Garden *Tim Brooke-Taylor *David Bellamy *Terry Nutkins *Eric Idle *David Hatch *Humphrey Lyttelton *Willie Rushton *John Junkin *Aimi MacDonald *John Fortune *Michael Palin *Richard O'Sullivan *Bill Kenwright *Jenny Seagrove *Willy Russell *Tommy Steele *Martin Shaw *Tim Rice *Betty Driver *Barbara Windsor *June Brown *Wendy Richard *John Peel *Bob Harris *Alan Freeman *Lynn Redgrave *Vanessa Redgrave *Corin Redgrave *Michael Redgrave *Rachel Kempson *Tony Richardson *Rita Tushingham *John Gielgud *James Mason *Alan Bates *Bob Hope *Bing Crosby *Dolores Hope *George Burns *Jack Benny *Dorothy Lamour *Dean Martin *Jerry Lewis *Phyllis Diller *Jane Russell *Alan Bennett *Julie Andrews *Clive Mantle *Nickolas Grace *Derek Thompson *Paul Bown *Alan Minter *Richard Gordon *Dirk Bogarde *Barry Evans *Ernest Clark *Kenneth More *Richard Beckinsale *Fulton Mackay *Leonard Rossiter *Don Warrington *Brian Wilde *Sam Kelly *Ken Jones *Paula Wilcox *Leonard Cheshire *Henry "Shrimp" Davies *Chay Blyth *Nicholas Winton *Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet *John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne *Ted Rogers *Denis Norden *Peter Glaze *Dickie Davies *Michael Parkinson *Russell Harty *Stu Francis *Ted Ray *Mike Yarwood *Noele Gordon *Bernie Clifton *Mark Austin *Alastair Stewart *Lenny Henry *Alastair Burnet *Peter Sissons *Dermot Murnaghan *Nicholas Owen *Stephen Hendry *Ronnie O'Sullivan *Steve Davis *John Higgins *Alex Higgins *Hugh Scully *Kenny Everett *Terry Wogan *Angela Rippon *Richard Baker *Anne Diamond *Nick Owen *Pete Murray *Oliver Reed *John Mills *Hayley Mills *Juliet Mills *Mary Hayley Bell *David Lean *Richard Attenborough *Trevor Howard *Anthony Quayle *Jean Simmons *Christopher Jones *Ronnie Hilton *Max Miller *Peter Brough *Les Dennis *David Niven *Stanley Kubrick *Peter O'Toole *Sheila Sim *Richard Todd *John Howard Davies *Michael Anderson *Glynis Johns *James Robertson Justice *Jane Wyman *Pat Hitchcock *Alicia Markova *Anton Dolin *Margot Fonteyn *Dame Ninette de Valois *Finlay Currie *Myrna Loy *Ginger Rogers *Bette Davis *Olivia de Havilland *Katharine Hepburn *Thelma White *Helen Kane *Derek McCulloch *John Simpson *Stuart Hibberd *Cliff Michelmore *Ed Stewart *Roy Plomley *Ron Moody *Jack Wild *Ray Ellington *Carol Reed *Andy Secombe *Lionel Bart *Douglas Bader *Lewis Gilbert *Susannah York *Sybil Thorndike *Laurence Olivier *Richard Wattis *Jeremy Spenser *Dame Edith Evans *Ralph Richardson *Alastair Pearson *David Attenborough *Michael Attenborough *Ben Kingsley *Stratford Johns *Frank Windsor *James Ellis *Norman Bowler *Joseph Brady *Brian Murphy *Colin Welland *Kenneth Cope *Barbara Mullen *Bill Simpson *Andrew Cruickshank *Dulcie Gray *Victor Maddern *Eric Portman *Osbert Sitwell *Shirley Eaton *Leonard Sachs *Andrew Sachs *Sheila Steafel *Ann Todd *John Sachs *Bernard Miles *Leo Genn *Joyce Carey *Noel Purcell *Harry Andrews *John Le Mesurier *Arthur Lowe *Clive Dunn *Ian Lavender *Arnold Ridley *Joan Le Mesurier *Frank Williams *Edward Sinclair *Pamela Cundell *Stanley Baxter *Eric Barker *Robin Le Mesurier *Virginia Graham *Stanley Matthews *Tom Finney *Jimmy Greaves *Alf Ramsey *Kevin Keegan *Jimmy Armfield *Adolphe Menjou *Ramon Novarro *Margaret Woods *Armida *Robert Blake *Gaylord Carter *Barbara Davis *Judy Garland *Rosetta Duncan *Vivian Duncan *G.H. Elliott *Major Flood *Johnny Grant *Stuart Hibbert *John Snagge *Stuart Henry * Category:Children's